Take a trip to Mexico at El Zócalo
By KELLY WILSON
Get Out

The spot: El Zócalo Mexican Grill, 28 S. San Marcos Place, Chandler Happy hour: 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday

The vibe: When we arrive at El Zócalo at 6:30 p.m. on a Friday, we're informed that we'll have to wait 30 to 40 minutes for a table. So we opt for spot on the patio, where there isn't a wait and the weather is nice. We feel like we're in a Mexican paradise. Misters spray the lush and spacious garden patio, which boasts colorful flowers and a fountain. The food deals: Half-off all appetizers.

The drink deals: $3 house wine, $2 Coronas and drafts, $1 off well drinks and well margaritas.

The review: The nachos machos ($4.47) is a large order of corn chips layered with carne asada, pollo asado and refried beans. The nachos are topped with melted Monterey jack and cheddar cheese, guacamole, pico de gallo and sour cream. The folded cheese quesadilla ($2.98) isn't anything exceptional. We love the zesty shrimp cocktail ($4.37) — the only downside to this appetizer is that we have to really dig to find the shrimp, which are covered with cocktail sauce and avocados. We also order a frozen strawberry margarita ($6.50), which makes the perfect after-work happy hour treat.

The inside scoop: The restaurant and bar features more than 60 tequilas.

Info: and www.elzocalo.com